Islamic Education: Theory and Practice (MA) (2025 Entry)

Course code

P-X3V7;
P-X3V9 (2 years);
P-X3V5 (3 years)

Start date

29 September 2025

Duration

1 year full-time; 2 years or 2-3 years part-time

Qualification

Led by

Education Studies

Location

University of Warwick

Course code

P-X3V7;
P-X3V9 (2 years);
P-X3V5 (3 years)

Start date

29 September 2025

Duration

1 year full-time; 2 years or 2-3 years part-time

Qualification

Led by

Education Studies

Location

University of Warwick

Meet us

Download our prospectus Link opens in a new window

Apply now

Find out more about our Islamic Education: Theory and Practice, taught Master's degree.

Islamic Education: Theory and Practice MA facilitates a critical dialogue between Western and Islamic approaches to education and enables teachers and Muslim educators to become research-based reflective practitioners. Join Warwick's flexible MA and engage with a transformative teaching and learning experience that nurtures your academic formation and your personal and professional development.

Course overview

The programme is designed for opening up professional development pathways for diverse groups of educational practitioners, Muslim educators and faith leaders who work within the context of formal and informal Islamic and general educational settings. The programme is open to mainstream education practitioners who wish to deepen their knowledge and understanding of Islam, facilitate critical Islam literacy and be able to respond effectively to the educational needs of Muslim children and young people under their care.

Islamic Education is a new exciting interdisciplinary field of scholarly study, empirical research professional development. It has growing national and international interest among Muslim and wider education practitioners.

The programme enables students to develop critical academic competence in theory and practice of Islamic Education facilitating reflective practice among a specialist community of educational practitioners and researchers. Students will explore diverse perceptions of education and pedagogic practice in historical and contemporary Muslim societies, engage with modern educational theories, pedagogic models and develop essential research skills necessary to be able to identify personal areas of further research in the field. The course adopts an integrative approach to pedagogy which facilitates student engagement through strategies of self-organised and blended learning i.e. combining online resources, platforms as well as face to face workshops, seminars and lectures.

The emphasis on the course will be on the importance of contemporary educational research into Islamic Education, especially research springing from the Social Sciences directed towards pedagogy and curriculum development. The course will enable students to develop the competence to ‘think educationally’ about Islam and critically examine the theory and practice of Islamic Education in the modern Muslim world and across the Muslim communities in the West.

Students will have the opportunity of critically examining the existing Islamic Education textbooks, curriculum and the syllabuses. Furthermore, they will discuss the educational challenges facing Muslim communities in the Western Diaspora with special reference to exploring the educational needs of Muslim youth. The course will critically examine how best to develop appropriate educational strategies to tackle religious extremism and address issues concerning the faith development of Muslim young people in Britain.

The course attracts a wider range of practitioners within the field of faith-based and religion-related practitioner education by explicitly identifying and responding to the professional development needs of practitioners engaged in Islamic Education. As such the programme, in a distinctive way, opens professional development pathways for diverse groups of Muslim educators, faith leaders and those who wish to engage with Islamic Education as an area of further academic development.

This programme will also be of interest to RE practitioners and teachers who are interested in improving their understanding of Islam and the educational needs of Muslim children and young people under their care.

Skills from this degree

Critically analyse and explain the origins and sources of Muslim Educational thought and practice as well as evaluate critically current theory, literature, research, advanced scholarship and methodologies in Islamic Education, Islamic Pedagogy and Education Studies
Identify and critically analyse the contemporary educational issues and challenges facing diverse Muslim communities in contemporary Muslim majority and minority communities such as educational reform, gender gap in educational leadership within national educational systems of global Muslim societies
Application of research skills in developing and evaluating scholarly and empirical research in Islamic Education
Develop competence to identify areas of research and structure personal research interests and projects in the field
Deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgements in the absence of complete data, and communicate their conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences
By adopting a learner-centred, inquiry-based delivery strategy, students will develop competence for reflective practice
Demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, and act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional or equivalent level

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

Minimum requirements

2:2 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a related subject or successful completion of the Islamic Education PGA.

Minimum 3 years of teaching experience within formal and informal Muslim education settings. These institutions include Islamic faith-based schools, supplementary Mosque schools (Madrassahs), Islamic higher education institutions/Islamic study circles, chaplaincy and couching related youth work and community development centres. The candidates need obtain references from these institutions substantiating their formal and informal teaching and work experience relevant to the MA Islamic Education programme.

English language requirements

You can find out more about our English language requirementsLink opens in a new window. This course requires the following:

Band B
IELTS score to 7 overall, no more than two components at 6.0/6.5 & rest 7.0+

International qualifications

We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.

For more information, please visit the international entry requirements pageLink opens in a new window.

Academic References

We typically ask for one academic reference for taught courses, and two academic references for research courses.

You will be asked to include an email address for your referee(s) when submitting your application and we will contact them for you.

View our guide to academic references.Link opens in a new window

Additional requirements

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

Modules

Core modules

Foundations of Islamic Education

This module helps you to explore philosophical, historical and theological foundations of Islamic Education through engaging with modern educational theories and pedagogic models. You will develop knowledge, understanding and critical insights into the fundamentals of Islamic educational thought, practice and values and begin to form your own philosophy of education by critically engaging with both the Islamic and Western traditions of education thought and practice.

Research Methods in Education (alternative online module available for part-time students if required)

This module encourages students in understanding, designing and implementing research in the field of education. It will introduce you to a range of established research strategies and techniques, including data collection and analysis. These skills will enable you to design and carry out a dissertation research project, as well as to disseminate its findings. As part of this module, you will present your research design and have the opportunity to receive feedback ahead of completing your dissertation.

New Perspectives in Islamic Pedagogy

This module aims to enable students to engage critically with the concept of Islamic pedagogy through exploring historical formation of Islamic traditions of learning and teaching and assessing their contemporary applications in diverse educational settings. Students will be taught the principles of historical, cultural and pedagogic analysis in relation to selected texts, context(s) and topics in particular research projects in the inter-disciplinary field of Islamic Education.

Dissertation

The dissertation is an opportunity to explore, in depth, an area of academic and/or professional interest related to your degree. Building on the knowledge and skills developed during the Research Methods module, and your other modules, you will conduct an independent research project, developing a deeper understanding of your chosen topic. From your research project, you will produce a dissertation, with guidance from a supervisor who will be allocated to you. Through the dissertation, you will demonstrate the ability to analyse and synthesise relevant literature, produce coherent arguments supported by relevant evidence and logical discussion, and acknowledge sources of ideas and information.

Optional modules

This programme has a number of optional modules to choose from. Our optional module lists are subject to change each year to keep the student learning experience current and up-to-date.

Find the most up-to-date optional module list on the Education Studies website.Link opens in a new window

Tuition fees

Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.

Find your taught course fees

Fee Status Guidance

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.

Do you need your fee classification to be reviewed?

If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.

Find out more about how universities assess fee status

Additional course costs

As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.

For departmental specific costs, please see the Modules tab on the course web page for the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our Module Catalogue (please visit the Department’s website if the Module Catalogue hyperlinks are not provided).

Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2024/25 year of study). Information about module department specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:

Core text books
Printer credits
Dissertation binding
Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Scholarships and funding

Scholarships and bursaries

Scholarships and financial support

Find out about the different funding routes available, including; postgraduate loans, scholarships, fee awards and academic department bursaries.

Living costs

Find out more about the cost of living as a postgraduate student at the University of Warwick.

Teaching

For full-time students, all of our modules are delivered in-person at our well-equipped university campus. Please note that if you wish to study on a part time basis you should be aware that most modules are taught during the normal working day and there is no out of hours provision. If this is a consideration for you please contact us prior to applying so that we can advise you further. Part-time students are able to complete some of their modules as asynchronous distance-learning modules.

Most modules include weekly teaching sessions, giving you the opportunity to join with your colleagues to discuss and debate the topics being explored. These sessions are delivered in a range of formats that suit the module (these may include lectures, seminars, group work and practical workshops, for example). In addition, you will be given various pre- and post- session tasks and readings to support your learning.

Typical contact hours

You will attend one or two 3-hour lectures and/or seminars each week during the Autumn and Spring Terms of modules plus research methods training lectures and seminars throughout all three terms.

Assessment

Assessment types vary depending on modules selected but may be a mixture of assignments and oral presentations. You will also complete a dissertation based on an individual research project, with support from a research supervisor.

Reading lists

If you would like to view reading lists for current or previous cohorts of students, most departments have reading lists available through Warwick Library on the Talis Aspire platform. 

You can search for reading lists by module title, code or convenor. Please see the modules tab of this page or the module catalogue.  

Please note that some reading lists may have restricted access or be unavailable at certain times of year due to not yet being published. If you cannot access the reading list for a particular module, please check again later or contact the module’s host department. 

Additional course costs

You may wish to undertake some research with children or young people that may require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check or a Certificate of Good Conduct for students from outside of the UK. A Certificate of Good Conduct can vary in price.

Please contact your academic department for information about department specific costs, which should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below, such as:

Core text books
Printer credits
Dissertation binding
Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Find out more about our additional course costs.

Your timetable

Your personalised timetable will be complete when you are registered for all modules, compulsory and optional, and you have been allocated to your lectures, seminars and other small group classes. Your compulsory modules will be registered for you and you will be able to choose your optional modules when you join us.

Careers

Your career

Islamic Education is a fast-growing area of teaching, research and policy development within the context of UK and beyond. It has a growing international appeal. This is a new programme. Most of our graduates so far have gone into senior roles in Islamic schooling, community-based education sector and research/policy development related job opportunities in private and public sectors to further their carriers.

Our department has a dedicated professionally qualified Careers Consultant offering impartial advice and guidance together with workshops and events throughout the year. Previous examples of workshops and events include:

Careers in Education
Careers with Children and Young People
Warwick careers fairs throughout the year

Department

Education Studies at Warwick

Education has the power to change lives

Education changes lives through teaching, coaching, training, and through work in local and global communities. What do you understand about that power? Bring your fascination for the way we communicate and learn to Warwick.

Find out more about us on our websiteLink opens in a new window

Our Postgraduate Taught courses

Our Postgraduate Research courses

Education (MPhil/PhD)

Apply now

How to apply checklist

Our how to apply checklist helps you prepare for your application

Read the checklist

I'm ready to apply

Learn more about the Applicant Portal.

Apply now

Application deadlines

The application process for courses that start in September and October 2026 opens on 2 October 2025.

Applications close on 2 August 2026 for students who require a visa to study in the UK, to allow time to receive a CAS and complete the visa application process.

Useful links

Applicant portal
After your applied
Admissions statement
Join a Live Chat

2024 entry

Find out how to apply to us, ask your questions, and find out more.

Explore ways to connect with us

We understand how important it is to visit and explore your future university before you apply. That's why we have put together a range of online and in-person options to help you discover more about your course, visit campus, and get a sense of postgraduate life at Warwick. Our events offer includes:

Warwick hosted events
Postgraduate Fairs
Live chats
Talk and Tours
Department events

See 2025 entry »

Why Warwick

Discover why Warwick is one of the best universities in the UK and renowned globally.

Why Warwick

Discover why Warwick is one of the best universities in the UK and renowned globally.

8th in the UK

in the Guardian University Guide 2025

6th Most Targeted University

by the UK's top 100 graduate employers (The Graduate Market in 2024, High Fliers Research Ltd)

69th in the World

out of 1,500 institutions across 104 locations (QS World University Rankings 2025)

Page Updates

We may have revised the information on this page since publication. See the edits we have made and content history.

About the information on this page

This information is applicable for 2026 entry. Given the interval between the publication of courses and enrolment, some of the information may change. It is important to check our website before you apply. Please read our terms and conditions to find out more.

StudyStudy Postgraduate Postgraduate

Islamic Education: Theory and Practice (MA) (2025 Entry)

Find out more about our Islamic Education: Theory and Practice, taught Master's degree.

Scholarships and financial support

Living costs

How to apply checklist

I'm ready to apply

Find out how to apply to us, ask your questions, and find out more.

Explore ways to connect with us

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

8th in the UK

6th Most Targeted University

69th in the World

5th best student city in the UK

Gold standard teaching

92% of our research

Page Updates

About the information on this page

Connect with us

Talk to us

Find us